According to many athletes, if you do well at IRONMAN 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake, you will do equally well at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona
When the originator of the Buffalo Springs Lake triathlon created this new event in 1990 as an Olympic distance triathlon there were no grand expectations. The goal was simply to put on a safe, well planned, competitive race for the inaugural event. A grand total of 91 triathletes gathered in the beautiful Yellowhouse Canyons of the Llano Estacado Plains of West Texas to compete on a very challenging course. The consensus was this spring fed lake nestled inside the canyons was a natural venue and offered the athletes the ultimate swim, bike and run challenge. Then in 1994 the opportunity to become an IRONMAN World Championship qualifying race was offered.
After the qualifying status was acquired the number of participants doubled within a year and then continued to grow upward to the 1700 maximum capacity for the venue. As the years of competition and reputation began to grow a natural “aura” of this race started to grow in similarity to the IRONMAN World Championship. This “aura” became so solid that many of the major publications compared it directly to Kona and many athletes said, “if you do well at IRONMAN 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake you will do well in Kona.” While there would, at first glance, seem to be no comparison to the Illano Estacado Plains of West Texas to the lava fields of the Big Island, there really is when it comes to their personalities. Both courses offer a strange flavor of schizophrenia and on any given year they can be completely the opposite than the previous year. However, the conditions of the courses have consistent similarities, whether it is the heat, wind, sun, or climbs.
To add to this “aura” IRONMAN 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake has earned a reputation as a very tough, challenging race, but at the same time very fair. It also has a tendency to build great friendships with many age group triathletes and even legendary triathletes of the world. Whether it be age groupers or the top pros of the world, the success and popularity of the event continues. In 2013 IRONMAN 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake will again host the top triathletes from 42 states and 13 countries.
The 1.2- mile open water lake swim course is a rectangular course, counter clockwise with an entry at the beach area and an exit on the cement boat dock area, within 20 yards of the transition area. The bike course is a modified out-and-back course that takes you through out of town farms to market road. The bike course is a tough but partially shaded and scenic course.
There are 40 qualifying slots for the IRONMAN World Championship 70.3 in Lake Las Vegas, Henderson, NV.
Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/ironman-70.3/buffalo-springs-lake.aspx#ixzz2HRO6rhvP

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